Eyes of a Serpent
by illusionarysky
Summary: Name: Teresa E. Berenson. Age: 13. Conviction: Alleged Toilet Exploder and General Mischief Maker.
1. Tiolet Traumas

Eyes of a Serpent  
  
Chapter One  
Toilet Tribulations  
  
Teresa E. Berenson sat anxiously on the Hogwarts Express, as it chugged rigorously towards its destination, her new school. She rubbed at some of the fog that had appeared on the window glass and looked out at the forests the train was passing.  
  
"It was a toilet" she thought aloud. " A stupid toilet" She could still hear the headmaster's words echoing in her head as they had been last year as she hollered at her for blowing the dickens out of two poor little toilets. "TERESA! THIS IS THE LAST STRAW! You HAVE GOT to STOP! I can not TAKE this anymore!" Headmistress Mason was having quite a fit. Teresa remembered thinking to herself "You can just fix them with magic". She also remembered telling the headmistress this, in hopes of calming her down. Fat Chance. Headmistress Mason began to yell again "THATS NOT THE POINT! THIS ISNT ABOUT THE TOILETS! IT IS ABOUT YOUR LACK OF DISCIPLINE..." She shouted for a few more minutes before sending Teresa back to the bathroom to fix the toilets. Then the headmistress sent her back to class. But not before her parents were notified. The rest of her school year went rather smoothly. That was, until she got home. Her parents looked at her, shook their heads and sighed. She remembered them explaining to her that they couldn't have her blowing things up anymore at Eastern. She listened carefully behind a closed door to her parents making finalizations. She would NOT be going to that school any more. She heard her mother say to her father "NO discipline! None! A good yell is ALL she gets, then it's off to class!" Her father replied "Well, dear, how about one of them British schools. I hear they will crack anyone into shape.even our daughter. Maybe..." And so it was that she would attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She remembered being explained to that she wouldn't be with the new students, she would go with the students in their third years, for she was thirteen. Teresa's apprehension mounted. She wouldn't know anyone. How would she make friends? All the girls probably made their little cliques during their first and second years. And she'd be an outcast. The little lone American girl outcast. She'd probably be the only American too. She mulled this over for a while as the train sped past hills and rivers, not paying much attention to the scenery. She had things to plan. Many things to plan.  
  
Finding out what she needed to plan was just one of them. 


	2. Invaluable Advice

Chapter Two  
  
Invaluable Advice  
  
Teresa slipped into a light slumber as the train as it made its way speedily towards Hogwarts. She was enjoying a nice dream about Dungbombs and Pepper Imps when her compartment door was flung open, startling her. She blinked, adjusting her eyes to the new light that flooded in through the open door. Three figures came into focus. One was a boy with blonde hair slicked back by some type of gel. Teresa felt the look didn't suit him. He was flanked by two large boys with expressions on their faces resembling that of very disgruntled guard dogs. She shrunk back, intimidated by the extreme largeness of the boys, her cinnamon hair falling into her pine green eyes. She gulped and stammered a greeting, something along the lines of "Er.Hello.um.hi. How's it hanging?" The boys gave her a look of confusion, then recognition. The blonde boy stepped forward. "Hello dear, I'm Draco Malfoy. You must be the.ahem.American." he drawled in a bored, "been there, done that" tone. She nodded meekly, hoping to god that the boys the size of Manhattan wouldn't decide to sit on her for fun. She pulled her face into a sweet smile and stood up, looking Draco straight in the eye.  
  
"Hey there, what's up? Im Teresa Berenson." She said brightly, holding out a hand with carefully manicured red nails. Draco took her hand, shook it then looked her up and down. Teresa felt slightly unnerved. "So, Teresa, what house are you going for? I'm in Slytherin.Wait.You cant possibly be a first year.Explain." "I left my old school. I was a trouble maker."At this she grinned slyly. She went on "My parents thought a Brit school would whip me into shape. And here I am. I'm getting sorted this year, but I'm going to be a third year. I don't really know about the houses." she paused, looking up at the two monstrous boys flanking Draco. "Who are you guys?" Draco waved a hand dismissivly, as if to brush off the comment. "Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. They have their uses. So, Teresa, wouldn't it be simply exciting if we were in the same house?" He grinned at Teresa. She kept her sweet smile plastered onto her face. "Um, huh?" She said, not wanting to give a direct answer, for fear of being smashed, or being smooched all the way up her arms. Draco took her hand and shook it. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, dear. I'll see you around the castle." His face split into a grin almost as sly as one that Teresa would pull off. She could only hope his intentions had nothing to do with her tongue piercing. About ten minutes later, the compartment door burst open again, and in came a tall boy with dreadlocks, and two identical, shorter boys with red hair and evil grins. The boy with the dreadlocks thrust a small white box into her face. "Chocolates?" He smiled sweetly. She snatched a large box out from behind her held it out to him. "Cremes?" She offered, batting her eyelashes innocently. His eyes went wide with glee. "Sure!" He proceeded to hand one of the boys his box and take Teresa's. He opened it, let out a shout, and jumped about 4 feet in the air, nearly hitting his head. A cat jumped out and had firmly latched it's self onto his face, mewling with giddy fright. The cat was tiny and black, with yellow eyes and a niche in one of his ears. "GET THIS THING OFF ME!" The boy with the dreadlocks flailed his arms wildly as the twins laughed hysterically at their friend. Teresa retrieved her kitten from the boy's face and it promptly fell asleep in its box. She giggled. "You aren't the only ones with tricks up their sleeves. I'm Teresa Berenson. I'm new to the school. A third year. I left my old school in America because I was too much of a trouble maker. Who are you?" One of the twins spoke up "I'm George Weasley, this is Fred, my brother. And this is Lee Jordan" George pointed to the boy with the dreadlocks who had taken his box back from Fred the second red haired twin. Lee opened the box and Teresa peered inside to find a tarantula waving its feelers and legs up at her. "So you're a trickster too? Well, well, well. Fred, George? I think we found us a companion. And she's cute too! Stick with us Teresa, you wont go far wrong.or rather, you do a lot of wrong stuff.and uh.not get in trouble? So you go wrong, but wont get wronged for it? You'll do wrong stuff and you wont get in trouble for doing the stuff that is wrongly did? Or maybe, you could be wrongly troubled and not be getting wronged for the right things? Or perhaps-". "Quiet down before you hurt yourself." Instructed Fred firmly. George looked at her, puzzled. "What did you do to get you ousted from your other school?" "Oh, that. I blew up a toilet." Teresa said offhandedly. Fred and George glanced at each other. Fred stepped forward and held out a hand. "Stick with us, kiddo, and you'll do just fine" Teresa took it, with a smirk on her face identical to that of the three boys. "Yeah, I'll be just fine." 


	3. Sorting Things Out

Chapter Three  
  
Sorting Things Out  
  
Teresa, Lee, Fred and George hung out in her compartment for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts. They told her about the school, the students, the professors, the houses and their experiences during their first two years. She had grown rather attached to them by the time the train had stopped and they all decided to share a horseless carriage up to the castle. Teresa was quivering with excitement, and an extreme case of nerves. "Are you sure the people will like me? They won't hate me because I am an American?" Fred laughed "Don't you worry. There is one other American girl in this school. Her name is Rachel. I think you'll be fast friends." Teresa listened intently. "Well, what school did she go to?" "Oh, Eastern. Same as you. Maybe you know her." Teresa thought for a moment, but did not remember anyone named Rachel in her house at Eastern. She shrugged and coughed on the dust that was kicked up by the rickety wheels of the carriage. The dry air didn't help at all. Lee prodded her in the side, "You play any Quidditch?" She nodded fervently. "Yup, I was a chaser for the team at my last school." "Any good?" "Well, I made the team, didn't I? Maybe I'll be on the team here too!" "Oh! The twins are on the team for Gryffindor, I do the commentary" Lee drew himself up proudly. "You know who the seeker is for our house? Harry Potter! You know who he is?" Teresa searched her memory, "The name is familiar.Oh yes! He got rid of The Dark Lord, didn't he?" The boys nodded. Soon after, the carriage came to a halt. The group clambered out of the carriage and found themselves standing before the castle in the dewy grass. Teresa was in awe. "So, this is where I'll be spending my next 5 years." she whispered to herself. She took in its turrets and towers, feeling as though they would slash holes through the dusky sky. She looked towards the doors and followed her new friends into the school. She then stopped, causing Fred to walk into her. She spun around and snatched him by the shoulders. "WAIT! Don't I need to be sorted?! Where should I go? HELP!" She wailed in anguish. He pointed to a door slightly off from the doors to what George told her was the Great Hall. "Go there. All the first years are there." She nodded, gave her friends hugs, which startled them slightly, not knowing this was normal for an American, and Headed away from the crowd, towards the door. She firmly grasped the handle and opened it. She was met by a sea of young, frightened faces and a woman with a stern expression on her face. The woman beckoned Teresa towards her.  
  
"Good evening Miss Berenson. Normally, students in their first year are sorted, but considering your circumstances, you will be sorted as well." She explained the concept of houses, house points and behavior. It was nothing new to Teresa; she was familiar with the concept, most of it was used at Eastern as well. She also introduced herself as Professor McGonagle There she stood, surrounded by faces as scared as hers. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest, her breathing rapid. A small boy clutching a camera tapped her on the shoulder.  
  
"Um, what do we do to get sorted?" He asked timidly. "How should I know?" she snapped. She calmed down a little "I'm sorry, I'm just nervous.really tense.I'm new.scared too." She replied in a soothing voice. He nodded understandingly, feeling the same way. Right then, professor got them into a line. Teresa's heart was going mad, she felt anxious, fearful and excited. "All right children. Lets go." Professor McGonagle led them through a set of doors that lead into the Great Hall. It was like nothing Teresa had ever seen. Four long tables and floating candles filled her vision. It's ceiling was high and mirrored that of the night sky outside, flecked with the beginnings of stars and a deep dusty blue. She gasped as a dash of light flew across it. A comet. She shut her eyes, and made a wish. The precession of new students made its way up to the front to the hall. Professor McGonagall placed a three-legged stool down on the floor. A man in a tatty old suit came and put a hat on the stool. The hat was big, dirty and had patches and several tears through it. Everyone was gazing intently at the hat. Teresa found it to be.boring, that was, until it started singing a song about Hogwarts. The simple shock of a singing hat stunned her a bit, but the was careful to listen, to hear any important information. She found that there were four houses, and they all had different sorts of people in them. Gryffindor associated with being brave and chivalrous, Ravenclaw with being wise and of wit, Hufflepuff with loyalty and toiling and Slytherin with cleverness and being sly.  
Teresa felt .or was it heard.a tinny whine in her ear, a long whistle. She shook her head and a few moments later, it was gone. "When I call your name, you are to come sit on the stool and put on the hat." Professor McGonagal announced. She began to run down a list of names in alphabetical order. She wasn't listening. A Shudder went though her body. She didn't really care who "Albert, Donald" was. Her main concern was keeping her breakfast down. And then she heard it. "Berenson, Teresa!" The professor called. Teresa stepped forward, and began towards the hat. She lifted the hat up and placed it over her head, it fell into her eyes, obscuring all vision. Once again, a tiny sound filled her ears, but it was not a whine, but a voice. The hat was speaking! "Hmmm.let me see. Teresa, Teresa. A trouble maker I see.tut tut.Teresa." She could hardly believe it! She was being told off.BY A HAT! "Well.this is difficult.hmm.Well then, I suppose it ought to be... but then.if.not.but if it should.hmm. Difficult. You have ties to Gryffindor...but still...im not sure...Very peculiar... I suppose....perhaps...yes... then....SLYTHERIN!" The hat announced it's decision and Teresa removed it to gaze across the Great Hall. She stood and made her way over to the table that could only be Slytherin. Many of the boys at the table were chanting her name and slapping each other high five. She chewed on her lip nervously as she took a seat at the table. Her gaze turned to the table where Fred, George and Lee sat, clearly disappointed. She made to get up from the table and go over to them, but a hand clapped down on her shoulder, impeding her ascent. She looked up to see the face of Draco Malfoy, his face pulled into a cold sneer. "Well, well, well. Welcome to Slytherin, my dear." He drawled. Teresa gave her best attempt at a smile, which, at the moment, looked more like a grimace. "Err...thanks...Blako, was it?" She stammered. Draco narrowed his eyes and uttered something that might have been a laugh. "Draco, my fine lady. But for you we can make an exception, if you'd like." Teresa tried to smile again, but gave up, considering that several of the people around her were inching away, looking at her as though she might suddenly be sick. "That's okay, I don't want special privileges..." She trailed off, gazing wistfully towards the Gryffindor table, where she could clearly see Fred, George and Lee talking amongst themselves. They glanced in her direction and she waved enthusiastically at them. Their faces brightened and they waved back. All hope was not lost after all. 


End file.
